Should the National Assembly decide the fate of the National Conference soon to be held at the behest of President Goodluck Jonathan? That is the question on the lips of many Nigerians against the backdrop of the suggestion in many quarters that the conference outcome should be subjected to a referendum. Some eminent Nigerians share their perspectives among other issues.

Chief Omordi George Ugbomah was a Commissioner for Environment and Works in Delta State. Ugbomah, who is currently the Political Adviser to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in Delta North, in this interview, comments on the performance of the governor, the National Conference and other sundry issues. Excerpts:

DIFFICULT TASK: It was bound to be – selection of the best journalist, that is. But it was a task that needed to be accomplished. Of the over 1,400 entries for this year’s CNN/MULTICHOICE AFRICA JOURNALIST AWARD, 27 finalists emerged. And of the finalists, only 16 winners emerged in the categories up for grabs.

Isaac O. Aberare, General secretary, Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers. In this interview with Moses Nosike of Saturday Vanguard, on casualisation in Nigeria, he reveals how indigenous and foreign companies contravene Labour laws because of government inability to enforce them. He stressed further how Nigerian workers spend 30 years in an employment as contract staff and others.

As 2015 draws very near, Nigeria is still not listed any where near the 10 countries that have made rapid progress to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which particularly include MDGI (eradicate extreme poverty) by providing gainful employment to a significant proportion of its population.